Lubricator



Feb. 28

L. A. M ERK LUBRICATOR Filed April "25 1929 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR Feb. 28, I MERK I LUBRICATOR Filed April 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ll i I l Milli IH Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA TE O mwmcn A. MERE, or PITTSBURGH;PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon 'ro naILwAY mm'rnmmcn conronarron, or ASPINWALL, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION rmmrca'ron Application filed April as, 1929. Serial m. 358,265.

This invention relates to lubricators and more particularly to lubricators of the over flow type, wherein a lubricant-applying reservoir is provided which has an opening through which lubricant is adapted to overflow to the point of application.

The invention' is particularly applicable for lubricating railroad track adjacent a curve, although the invention is also useful for many other purposes. It will be described for purposes of illustration as applied to a lubricating device for applying lubricant to railroad track.

In my copending application Serial No. 329,098, filed December 29, 1928, there are disclosed several lubricating devices adapted for applying lubricant to railroad track and to the flanges of car wheels passing thereover. Such devices all depend for their action upon the positive forcing of the lubricant through a lubricant-applying conduit by means of a pump or plunger operated through suitable lever mechanism by thev wheelsof a moving car. A lubricant-apply ing means is used which comprises an arm adapted to bepositioned directly between, the rail head and the flanges of wheels passing thereover.

' In order to insure suflicient spacing of the wheel flanges from the rail head so that the lubricant-applying means may be disposed therebetween, itis necessary to provide a guard railat the opposite side of the; track topull the car away from the rail to which the lubricant is to be applied. Furthermore, in devices of the type disclosed in my said co-pending application, it is necessary in order to supply the lubricant to the point of application, to provide a system of pumps and levers for forcing the lubricant through thelubricant-applying conduit to the point of application.

The present invention is to be distinguished from that of my said copending application by reason of the provision inter alia of means ior applying lubricant to the point of application which does not require the use'of a guard rail or'a'pump or operating means therefor to positively force the-lubricant through a lubricant-applying conduit.

I provide a lubricator, comprising a lubricant tank, a jlubricantfapplying' reservoir having a connection extending within the tank and below the surface of lubricant contained in the tank, saidconnection being movable in relation to the lubricant inthe tank to replenish thereservoir, means operable by a mov ng car for causing such movement, and an outlet from the reservoir for applying lubricant. I further provide .a lu bricator, comprising a lubricant tank, Iubri: cant applying means cooperating with the tankand' adapted for movement in a generally vertical plane to apply lubricant to the 1 side of a rail head, and spring means urging the lubricant applying means toward the rail head; I

Other objects and advantagesof thefinvention will become apparent as the following'description ofa presentprefrred embodiment thereof proceeds; 1

a In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention, wherein Figure 1- is atop planview of a lubricator, showingit applied to a rail,

Fi 'ure 2 is a cross-section on the -II I of Fig.1,

Figure 3 is a cross-section. on the lijne IIIIII of Fig. 1, and Y Figure 4 is a view similar to, Fig. 3 but showing the lubricator in a difierent operatin position.

having a head 3, a web l and a base 5. The rail 2 forms one of a pair of rails of a track, and dis osed between the'two rails, but adjacent t 1e inner side of the rail 2, is alubri- Iteferring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates, arailcant tank 6. The tank 6 is of elongated shape, being adapted to lie against and parallel to the rail 2. It comprises an inner wall 7 which terminates at 8 and is adapted to underlie and press against the head 3 of the rail. The tank 6 has a central portion 9 of greater depth than the remainder of the tank, for a purpose to be presently described. It is provided at the portion 9 with a removable drain plug 10. V

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the portion of the tank 6 above the deep portion 9 extends laterally over the base 5 of the rail so as to permit the upperextremity 8 of the wall 7 F tolieagainst the rail head as above described,

and also to increase the capacity of the tank.

A packing material .11, such as strips 10f" wood, may be interposed between the web 4 of the rail and the wall 7 of'thetank so as to maintain the tank in proper relationship with the rail. A bolt 12 passes through'the web of the rail, the packing materialll and the opposite'walls of the tank 6, whereby to maintain the tank inplace with respect to the rail. The tank is p'rovided on its outer surface with threaded bosses .13 receiving the extremities of thebolts 12. The bolts may be provided with suitablewashers 14 adapted to lie against the web of the rail, and may then be tightened to draw the tank firmly against the packing-material to maintain the wall extremity 8 in permanent contact with the underside of'the rail head. 1

. Loos ly mounted on-the portion of each of the bolts 12which lies withinf'the' tank 6 is abell crank lever 15, one extremity 16 of whichllis adapted tc'cooperate'wi'th an ad'- justable'stop '17 to limit the pivotal movement .of' the lever about the bolt v12. Pivotally connected with the respectivebell crank levers15, and 18 through bosses 19 is a lubricant-applying reservoir designated generallyby reference. numeral 20. This reservoir comprises an elongated portion .21 adapted to lie against the side of the rail head and'an ofi'set portion 22 communicating.- with the portion 21. The offset portion 22 lies above theportion9 of the tank 6. Thisportion is P ided with a downwardly exte'nding conduit 23 which enters the bottom of the portion 22 and extends vupwardly therein for an appreciable distance. The conduit 23 is providedv at its lower extremity with an enlargev ment 24 having a circular valve seat 25 and containing a ball check valve-.26. ,The elongated portion 21 of the reservoir is provided-at itsunder surface with pro.- jections 27 which lie substantially above 1 similarprojections 28 on the inner surface of the bottom of the tank 6. The respective projections 27 and, 28 maintain in place coil springs 29 which, under compression, tend to raise the'reservoir about the respective pivots 12, the movement thereof being limited by contact between the extremities 16 of the respective bell crank levers and the adjust able stops 17. The portion 21 of the reservoir is provided with a longitudinal slot or overflow opening 30 adjacent its upper surface and through which lubricant is adapt-V ed to pass to be applied to the inner surface of the rail head. The portion of the reservoir adjacent the overflow opening 30 is, adapted at all times to bear against the inner surface of the rail head. Tothis end,

coil springs 31 are disposed about the bolts.

12 between theouter wall ofthe tank 6 and the respective bell crank levers 15 so that such levers and the reservoir which is .Car-l' rled by tliein-are always resilientlyfluriged toward and into contact with the rail head.

This provision is of considerableadvantage when rails having tapered heads are to be lubricated,'as in such cases a lateral as well as a vertical movement of the reservoir will occur. The reservoir is" reinforced at its upper portlon 32 ad acent the railhead so as to be adapted to be engaged by'flanges33 'of wheels riding upon the rail 2. 1

The top of the offset portion 22 of the res;

When a car passes overthe track the-wheel flanges 33 engage and depress the "reservoir 20, causing downward pivotal movement thereof about the axes of the bolts12 and 3 against the" compression of the coil springs 29; On account of the speed with' which the car moves the depression-of the reservoir is'rapid l" The conduit 23 therefore moves rapidly through the body of lubricant in the j tank 6, causing the b-all valve'26 to be raised from its seat 25 to admit lubricant into the chamber 24. Such action will take place because the body of lubricant in the tank is substantially at rest and by 'reason, of the rapid movement of the conduit through the body of lubricant, the lubricant will not permit passage of the conduit through itw'ith out sufficient resistance tov unseat the valve 26, thereby admitting lubricant to theconduit 23., After the carc wheel passes over the reservoir the springs 29 are effective forraising the reservoir to its normal position I as determined by the adjustable stops 17,. Upon the upward movement of the reservoir the valve 26 seats in its seat 25, therebyprevent ing back-flow of lubricant from the reservoir into the tank. The action of the lubricant is so rapid, particularly when a nuinbe'r'of fast moving cars pass over it in succession, that air will be compressed within the air dome in the reservoir. The lubricant in the reservoir is adapted to overflow through the opening 30 against the rail head. The compressed air in the air dome assists in positively delivering the lubricant so that the same will be distributed throughout the entire length of the portion 21 and lubricate the rail throughout a substantial portion of its length. When no Wheel is passing over the lubricator the lu bricant in the reservoir will overflow through the opening 30 until its level reaches the level of the bottom of such opening, whereupon overflow will cease until another Wheel passes over the lubricator, depressing the reservoir and causing more lubricant from the tank 6 to pass the valve '26 and into the conduit 23,

whereupon such lubricant is raised into the reservoir and in turn flows out through the overflow opening.

The lubricant which is applied to the rail head is for the most part taken up by the Wheel flanges and thereby spread along the rail for a considerable distance. Any excess lubricant not taken up by the wheel flanges flows down the side of the rail head and back into the tank 6, as will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4. The extremities of the elongated portion 21 of the reservoir are tapered downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that too great a shock may not be imparted to the lubricator upon the impact of a wheel thereagainst. Although the movement of the lever is rapid, nevertheless it is considerably more gradual by reason of the tapered extremities than it would be were the full effect of each wheel to be felt instantaneously.

The provision of the air dome in the reservoir is not essential to the operation of the device, but is preferredto assist in delivering the lubricant more efiectively throughout the entire length of the reservoir so that it flows out through substantially every portion of the overflow opening 30. The number of conduits 23 and the length of the reservoir may be varied in accordance with operating conditions. The tank may be of suificient length to accommodate more than one reservoir, although it is found to be more satisfactory when only one reservoir is used per tank.

While I have shown and described a pres ent' preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto but maybe otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

, 1. A lubricator, comprising a tank adapted to contain lubricant, a reservoir having a portion within the tank forming a conduit between the tank and reservoir, a check valve in the conduit, the reservoir being movable in relation to the tank to replenish the reservoir, the check valve preventing backflow into causing movementwf themeservoin mid thetank, meansppemblvby-amoving carrier an outlet from the reservoir'for applyimgi ldbnicant, reservoir being adaptedzto contain a substantial quantitynf standing rhi'bnimmit, the outlet having a substantiallyhdrizmtal 'lowersurface over which the standing-lamb cant may easilyzflow; w 2. Alabricatomcempris'nga lubric antmpply, lubricant applying means-comprisi at ireservoirflraving an outleitgsaid reservoir ving. connected with: the supply and adapted toan'ove upzand down with'isaid'outletan contact with the side of a rail aheadgthe'lubnimflt applying. reservoir being 1 alsowresfliantly,

urged toward the rail head so as to atwll times A remain in contact therewith.

3. A lubricator, comprising a. lubricant tank, lubricant applying'means comprising a reservoir having an outlet, said reservoir cooperating with the tank and adapted for movement in a generally vertical plane to apply lubricant through said outlet to the side of a ra1l head, and spring means urging the lhubrcllcant applying means gtoward the rail ea I j 4. A lubricator, comprising a tank, a lubri cant applying reservoir n communication with the tank, means for causing lubricant to pass from the tank to the reservoir, means for preventing backflow into the-tank, and an air trap in the reservoir wherein air is adapted to be compressed as lubricant. passes from the tank to the reservoir, the compressed air being effective for expelling the lubricant from the reservoir. 1

5. A lubricator, comprising a tank, a lubricant applying reservoir having a portion extending into the tank through which lubricant is'adapted to pass from the tank to the reservoir, an air trap in the reservoir in v which air is adapted to be compressed as lubrlcant passes from the tank to the reservoir, and overflow means in the reservoir.

through which lubricant is adapted to be l expelled. v

6. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant supply, lubricant applying means in communication with the supply, pivots on which the applying means is loosely mounted for movement in a generally vertical plane to apply lubricant to the side of a rail head, and resilient means acting generally axially of the pivots for urging the applying means against the rail head." v

7 A lubricator, comprising a tank adapted to lie along a rail, fastening means connected with the tank for fastening the tank to the rail, lubricant applying means swingably pivoted on the fastening means, and springs urging the applying means generally axially of the fastening means against the rail head;

8. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant supply, an overflow device for positively deliverying a quantity of lubricant to a rail of 3130 suchqperating means 4 tuation .bya'wheel running, on the track and l being swingable in a plane generally parallel. V

ito the track. r

" my hand.

attack, and operating means forcausing delivery of lubricant by eing adapted for ac- .9. A :lubricator,comprising supply and lubricant applying means in communication with the supply and ada ted to apply. lubricantv to arail 0f a trac such 3 lubricant applying means being adapted for actuation by awheel running on the track and beingswingable in a plane generally parallel to'thetrack- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set- LAWRENCE AQMERK.

"I. 35 it is i the over-flow device,

a lubricant 

